


Revelation

by persephone622



Series: Healer [3]
Category: Henry IV Part 2 - Shakespeare, Henry V - Shakespeare, The Hollow Crown (2012)
Genre: Angst, F/M, I swear, Mostly porn, Smut, alluded to character death, but the plot is there, more relationship development, some more plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2014-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-12 21:00:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2124564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persephone622/pseuds/persephone622
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A bit of a turning point for Hal and Lizzie. Title inspired by a quote from The Fault In Our Stars by John Green: "Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Revelation

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter in Hal and Lizzie's story. Takes place in the middle/towards the end of Henry IV-Part 2 of The Hollow Crown (mainly because that version is my chief inspiration)
> 
> Some angst in this one. And revelations. Haha. :-)
> 
> Enjoy!

I let the noise of the market wash over me as I wandered, grateful to be free of the palace. Even for as simple an errand as restocking. The air, though pungent, did not hold the stale quality that lingered in the king’s room and I breathed deep; the life that coursed around me stood in sharp contrast to the somber mood that permeated the palace and I reveled in it.

My grip instinctively tightened on the handle of my basket as a gentle but insistent nudge pressed against my leg, my body stiffening in defense. A soft whine reached my ears as I glanced down and met the pleading dark brown eyes of a giant, mangy wolfhound. He nudged me again, pressing his nose against the pocket of my apron and snuffling. “Are you hungry?” I asked, relaxing and giving the mutt a smile. “Here.” I dug into the pocket and pulled out the small hunk of cheese he had been searching for. “I have no more need for it.”

“Be careful. He may become more attached than you would care for.” My head snapped up at the voice, my eyes locking onto a half-shadowed figure in the alley beside me. Hal grinned, that familiar smile and the light in his piercing blue eyes sending pleasurable shivers down my spine. But his expression was strained and it made my heart clench.

“Hal?” I moved to join him in the alley, brought to a halt by the sharp tug of teeth in my skirt. The stray looked up at me, snuffling again, only to huff in resignation when he found no more morsels. With a grateful lick of my hand, he padded off, intent to find some other willing soul.

Hal smiled down at me as I moved to join him in the shadows. “And here I feared I was to be replaced,” he joked.

“A poor replacement for a prince,” I tossed back, reveling in the broadening of his grin. But it lasted only a moment, his expression fading into a look of distant contemplation.

It was a look that had crossed his stunning features many times in the past few weeks. And I knew his question before it left his lips. “How fares the king?”

I sighed, a long exhalation of breath through my nose as I held his gaze. “Not well,” I murmured. “His melancholy seems much pronounced today. And . . . he was found wandering again last night. Marcus frets.”

Hal hummed, but his eyes were focused on a spot just over my head, lost in thought. His brow furrowed and his shoulders seemed to sag as though a great weight rested on them. Which it no doubt did. The king was exceedingly ill and soon, _Hal_ would be king.

“When this loose behavior I throw off,” he muttered, almost too softly for me to hear.

I shuffled closer, reaching out to brush my fingers against his. “Hal?”

His gaze flickered to mine and he seemed to break free of his reverie, but he smiled wanly, twisting his hand to grasp mine. “I must apologize, my Lizzie,” he said, bringing my hand to his lips. He kissed my knuckles and then turned it over, kissing my palm. “I had much more exciting plans when I followed you today.” His lips touched the inside of my wrist, sending a flash of desire pulsing through my veins. “Much more exciting.” I shivered as he let his gaze slide over me, eyes dark and suggestive. “But I fear your news . . .” Once again, his eyes took on that faraway look for a moment. “Those plans shall have to wait.”

He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, an earnestness in the kiss that had made itself known often since the king had taken a turn for the worse. I dropped my basket and curled my arms around his neck, shuffling closer until his arm was forced around my waist. Hal moaned softly, squeezing me to him briefly before releasing me completely. “I shall see you tonight.” With a final squaring of his shoulders, he strode out of the alley and disappeared into the marketplace.

* * * * *

I bolted upright, shivering as the covers slid off my shoulders and bared my skin to the cold, dark room. My eyes darted nervously, searching out the reason I had awoken so abruptly, when a sharp rapping came at the door. “Enter,” I called, my voice raspy with sleep.

A tall, lithe figure stepped into my chambers and I started, dragging the blankets back over me instinctively before recognition dawned. “Hal?” He had never entered my chambers before, choosing instead to summon me to his, not that I complained.

His face was pale, eyes rimmed with red, but he stood tall, regal, his body rigidly straight. “The king . . . my father . . .” He trailed off with a soft, choking sound and I leapt to my feet, striding towards him. “Lizzie . . .”

“Hal, what’s happened?” I asked, taking his hand and leading him back to the bed.

He collapsed onto the mattress hard, dropping his head into his hands. I stood before him, unsure and worried. “The king . . .” He stopped and cleared his throat, looking up at me with his striking blue eyes. “The king is dead.”

I inhaled sharply. “God save his grace,” I murmured, crossing myself.

His eyes fell back to his hands, staring. “He placed the crown on my . . . I held him as he . . . I am not . . .” A dismayed sound filled the room and he buried his face in his hands.

My heart clenched, hard, and I closed what little distance there was between us, tugging his hands away as I insinuated myself on his lap. He latched onto me, arms wrapping firmly around me while his face tucked itself against my neck. There were no tears but his breath was hot and heavy against my skin as he fought for control, his grip like a vice. I simply held him, my arms around his shoulders and one hand gently stroking his hair. Now that the king was gone, the purpose for Marcus and I to be in the palace, in London no longer existed. And I tried to ignore the thought, though it rang through my mind with the annoying clarity of the bells of St. Paul’s.

It felt as though we sat that way forever before I felt his grip loosen, his fingers sliding over my shift in slow, gentle strokes. His face tilted and I felt his soft lip press eagerly to my skin. “Lizzie,” he sighed. “My Lizzie.”

I moaned softly as he mapped every freckle, curve, and dip of my neck and shoulder with his mouth, my fingers flexing against his scalp. He pulled back after a moment, eyes roving over my face, searching. His expression was guarded but I could see the fear, the worry that he failed to hide deep in his eyes, and I leaned forward to press my lips to his.

Hal groaned, one hand sliding up to bury itself in my hair, tilting my head and deepening the kiss. It matched the kiss from earlier in the day, earnest and slow and filled with a mixture of emotions that wrapped around my soul.

He pulled away, the both of us panting, and rested his forehead to mine. “Will you stay?” he breathed. His blue eyes opened and met mine, pleading. “I know your purpose here has ended with my father’s . . . with the king’s death. But I need . . .” He reached and brushed a stray curl back off my forehead, letting his fingers slide down my face to rest against my neck, his gaze searching.

In his eyes, behind the sadness and grief, was a disbelieving fear and apprehension that made me ache. He seemed so lost, so unlike himself. “I will stay,” I whispered, cupping his cheeks and pressing my lips to his tenderly.

Hal returned the kiss almost too eagerly, the hand on my neck sliding up into my hair and grasping tightly, lips pressing hard and forcing mine apart. His tongue darted out, plunging deep and making me moan.

I broke away when my lungs began to burn due to lack of air, resting my forehead against his. “Hal.” He clutched me tighter, as though to absorb me into himself. “What do you need?”

His eyes bored into me for a long moment. “Stand,” he finally ordered, his voice soft and enticing. My body tingled at the slight but familiar glint that had returned to the hypnotic blue orbs. “Face me.”

I obeyed, our eyes staying locked as I slid from his lap. He followed, forcing my head back as he stood over me, fingers tracing over the lines of my face before sliding around to cup my head as he captured my lips once again.

It was a slow kiss, sharply contrasting with the last one, but no less heated. Almost as though he were drinking me in. I reached up and wound my arms around his neck, pushing up onto my toes in an effort to be closer, to let him consume me.

His hands slid down by body, burning through my shift as he grasped at the flimsy material, lifting it up and off me. He pulled back, heat and affection in his gaze as he raked his eyes over my form. I gasped as he suddenly bent down and scooped me up into his arms, spinning to gently place me back onto the bed before stepping back and quickly shedding his clothes.

I had little time to marvel at the fact that the prince’s . . . the _king’s_ clothes lay scattered on my floor before Hal was on top of me, every long, lean inch of him pressed against me. “Lizzie,” he breathed. He gazed down at me, a look in his eyes that I didn’t quite recognize. “My Lizzie.” He kissed me again, slow and sweet and tender . . . and then he was everywhere.

His fingers traced every curve, found every dip, every spot that made me moan and writhe beneath him, his lips following. Breathless exhalations of my name painted my skin as he kissed and licked and sucked, tasting every possible inch of me.

He finally slid inside me with a breathless moan and promptly buried his face against my neck. “My Lizzie,” he groaned, moving his hips in a torturously slow rhythm.

“Hal,” I breathed, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and my legs around his waist, clinging to him. “My Hal.”

He made a strangled sound, punctuating it with a sharp, deep thrust that made my eyes roll back in my head. But he kept moving slowly, grinding his hips into mine with every thrust. It was heaven and hell all at once, the fire inside me growing hotter and hotter with each passing moment. Hal hissed against my skin as I clenched around him, my body teetering on the edge.

He lifted his head and met my gaze, his blue eyes sapphire with need as he kissed me. His hips snapped to meet mine one more time and I fell, arching into him as my body tensed and rolled with pleasure. Hal followed almost the next instant, his groan only just registering through my haze as he spilled into me.

I came back to myself to find Hal collapsed on top of me, cheek pressed against my collarbone and one hand gently fondling my breast. He repositioned, resting his chin against me when I reached up to stroke his hair, smiling softly at me. The grief still lingered in his eyes, but he no longer seemed lost.

Hal shifted, making me gasp when I felt him still inside me, and his smile settled into that familiar smirk. He rested his weight on his hands, hovering above me and peppering my skin with light, teasing kisses. His gaze flickered to mine briefly as he pressed a lingering kiss over my heart before resuming his exploration of my body. I felt my heart skip and I knew in that moment that he had captured me completely, every piece. That I loved him with every inch of my body, mind, and soul.


End file.
